The management of Kinyara sugar limited in Masindi district has fired close to 200 permanent workers with the aim of downsizing the number of workers.

According Luka Okello, the Regional area secretary National organization on plantation Agriculture Union (NOPAU), the company closed the engineering section, fuel station and the field where most of the affected people were working.

He noted that on the 19th of October 2018 the Human resource Manager Kinyara sugar factory, Moses Kabila took him (Okello) to the General manager Kinyara briefed him that there no negotiations and confirmed the closure of the above sections.

Okello noted that terminating such a big number of people requires at least a notice of four weeks but the victims were not informed at all because the day they got the information is the day they were fired contrary to the law.

Rose Ocen, also a worker who lost his job explains that the letter they received were headed collective termination saying that a day before they were fired military and police were deployed around the factory something which disappointed them.

He wondered why government wouldnt come out and advise Kinyara management on the procedures they are supposed to follow. He adds that the workers are currently psychologically tortured.

A statement that was issued by Kinyara management indicated they did this to down size the workers after realizing that it was making losses and that it was going to compensate them.

Speaking during the meeting that was called by the chairperson LCV Masindi district Cosmas Byaruhanga today, Clare Businge Wamara the district labor officer Masindi said that she was also not notified by Kinyara on the decision it was making saying that she also had it from rumors.

Cosmas Byaruhanga, the LCV chairperson Masindi said that as leaders they are not going to sit back and see workers suffering like this noting that most of the people who have been laid off are experienced workers who have there for more than 10 years.

Byaruhanga also attacked government for always protecting the interest of the investors leaving the indigenous people to suffer.